Palladium Books® Weekly Update – Aug. 12, 2016

By Kevin Siembieda

Gen Con 2016 was amazing for us. We are back and full of energy and excitement about the array of product coming your way from us in the months ahead and over the next year.

I don’t know if it was the atmosphere at Gen Con itself or the energy generated by talking with a wide array of gamers about our plans for Robotech®, Robotech® RPG Tactics™, Rifts® and other projects, or a combination of the two, but we all came back from Gen Con brimming with enthusiasm. Even the drive to and from Gen Con was an adrenaline rush of ideas and brainstorming. I was so pumped up on Tuesday (we got back late Monday afternoon), that I got to the office early and posted a note on my door that read: “Can’t talk. Hot writing!” I didn’t emerge from my office until 6 hours later to eat lunch and discuss the many ideas and plans I had been jotting down.

I want to thank the many fans with whom we confided, and who shared their ideas, experiences and suggestions. Your feedback and input were inspiring and helpful, as always.

UPDATE: Heroes of Humanity is selling fast and furious

Rifts® CS Heroes of Humanity was a hot seller at Gen Con and continues to be our Number One selling sourcebook online and in stores, and that’s according to Palladium’s distributors. That’s great, because Rifts® Heroes of Humanity — along with CS Arsenal and The Disavowed — are setting up something truly huge for Rifts® that happens next year.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Rifts® Board Game by Rogue Heroes LLC – Coming 2017

Every single Rifts® fan Carmen Bellaire or I told about the upcoming Rifts® board game was blown away by the news and wanted it as soon as they can get it. I hope you feel the same way. Like the fans, we have been blown away by Carmen’s and his sculptor’s work. Some lucky people even got to see some of the impressive digital sculpts on Carmen’s laptop. Game pieces already done for the game are Coalition soldiers, the Glitter Boy, Juicer, Red Cyborg, and a cigar smokin’, gun totin’ Grackle Tooth, with more in development.

The as of yet untitled Rifts® Board Game is fast, fun and straightforward. Carmen’s game mechanics and designs truly capture the look and feel of Rifts®, but it is fun whether you are familiar with Rifts® or not. And the 28mm heroic size miniatures by Ben Calvert-Lee are absolutely brilliant. Full of life and power. The premise: Heroes, mages and D-Bees fight Coalition forces to stop a purge of the Chi-Town ‘Burbs!

This is one of the secret projects that have been going on behind the scenes here at Palladium Books. I agreed to award this license to long time Palladium freelance writer and game designer, Carmen Bellaire, last summer. Carmen has been working toward starting his own game company for many years now. When not writing books for Palladium Books like Splicers®, Rifts® Black Market, and the Powers Unlimited® series, Carmen has been developing games for Upper Deck Entertainment Division and other game companies. When he asked to create a Rifts® board game I said yes without hesitation. I’m glad I did, because this has been a labor of love by Carmen and the lead sculptor, Ben. And it shows in their work.

Carmen Bellaire expects to Kickstart the Rifts® board game from Rogue Heroes LLC sometime early next year. Of course, Carmen and his crew are doing all the heavy lifting. Palladium’s role is making sure the project is true to Rifts® (it is, as Carmen knows Rifts® inside and out) and approval of finished art, miniatures, design elements, text and rules. We have also pointed artists at the project. I think we are as excited to see this game launch as anyone. And what we have seen so far, wow.

UPDATE: Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Gen Con demos and games were awesome

All the positive feedback we received about Robotech® RPG Tactics™ has energized us. Demos were going on nonstop at the Palladium Booth thanks to Game Masters Thomas Roache, Jeff Ruiz and Robert Shewring. People had fun and RRT product sold very well.

The scheduled Robotech® RPG Tactics™ game events were also loads of fun. A late entry Robotech® RPG Tactics™ game hosted by Peter Pidrak featured a battle on the outer hull of a 16 foot long SDF-1!!! The SDF-1 was an impressive sight to see, and from all accounts, the five hour long game was epic fun. Thank you, Peter, for this last minute, unexpected thrill for us and the players. We knew Peter was working on this incredible playing platform, but had heard he wouldn’t have it done in time for Gen Con. We and many others were surprised and pleased to see otherwise. Talk about a heroic effort to wow fellow Robotech maniacs.

Support for Robotech® RPG Tactics™ was overwhelmingly positive, which was a welcomed surprise considering the delays with the ambitious RRT project.

UPDATE: Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Status Report

Palladium Books is gearing up for the relaunch of Robotech® RPG Tactics™ and the release of Wave 2 pieces in 2017. Getting a few quotes and focusing in on a number of areas for Robotech® RPG Tactics™. This ain’t just talk. You will be seeing things beginning to appear on the Palladium Books website and DriveThruRPG (like the Wave 2 paper game pieces that went up a couple weeks ago), Wave 2 cards (first for download, then for print on demand), the RRT rules, and more, while we move toward actual physical release. Along those lines, fans we spoke with were happy to see the rough draft for a RRT scenario book and hear our plans for more Robotech® RPG sourcebooks coming in 2017. I also spoke to some folks about helping us get organized play events together. We will be offering details and hard release dates when we have them.

UPDATE: Robotech® anime is a Top Rated series on Crackle

Crackle is a rapidly growing, free, digital network that has been airing the original Robotech® episodes with tremendous fan response. The Robotech® TV series has consistently ranked as Crackle’s Number One Anime and often in the overall Top Ten, giving a new generation a chance to discover Robotech®. I wanted to share this information with you so you can binge watch Robotech® from beginning to end or catch your favorite episodes anytime. You can find great inspiration for your Robotech® games watching old episodes.

UPDATE:Robotech®The Masters Saga™ Sourcebook

People are loving the new, larger, Robotech® The Masters Saga™ Sourcebook in the 8½ x 11 format. It was one of our best selling items at Gen Con. This book looks soooo good and is packed with all kinds of gear, mecha, battloids, power armor and information about the Army of the Southern Cross and its 15 combat divisions. Available now.

Robotech® RPG Tactics™ and Rifts® Flash Sale – One weekend only

We are so pumped up about Robotech® RPG Tactics™, Rifts® and Gen Con® that we want to celebrate by keeping the fun going with this unprecedented, but very short, sale of select Robotech® and Rifts® items. Friday night, Saturday and Sunday you can purchase the following Robotech® and Rifts® products at a massive discount! Something special to put a smile on the faces of those of you who could not make it to Gen Con. Be positive, enjoy and spread the word about this crazy sale – one weekend only. Ends Sunday, August 14, 2016, at midnight.

Robotech® and Rifts® are getting hotter than ever, so snag this deal before it is gone. Tell your friends and game on.

UPDATE: Rifts® Poker Decks a hit at Gen Con – available now!

The two Rifts® Poker Decks were a hit at Gen Con, with Rifts® fans and Savage Worlds fans alike commenting on how beautiful the two decks are. I know Clint Black snagged a pair for the Rifts® Savage Worlds demos he was running all four days at Gen Con. Most people have been scooping up both Rifts® poker decks. Sometimes even buying two of each. Nice. They are handsome, fun, and useful items to own. Both are currently only available from Palladium Books.

UPDATE: Raw Editions of Secrets of the Atlanteans™ and Rifts® World Book: The Sovietski™ – available now

Rifts® Dimension Book: Secrets of the Atlanteans™ and Rifts® World Book: The Sovietski™ were both hot items at Gen Con for us. Both sold around equally well and elicited a lot of smiles, oohs and ahhs, especially Atlanteans with its background on Atlantean tribes and the addition of Crystal and Shadow Magic. The Sovietski™ is the bigger of the two books so I don’t think all the nuggets of goodness in that title have been uncovered yet. Both are available now, only in Palladium’s online store. Each collector’s preview edition is limited to 150 copies (half sold at Gen Con) and available on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. Get them while you can. See the full description elsewhere in this Update.

UPDATE: A surge in sales of The Rifter®

One of the top selling product lines at Gen Con and continuing with strong online sales this week has been back issues of The Rifter®. We all love The Rifter® – part fanzine and part sourcebook and unlocked imagination – and happy to see such strong sales, but the sudden spike in the week before Gen Con, during Gen Con and continuing into this week has been a welcomed surprise we cannot explain. I have to guess that part of it is because The Rifter® #74 is another great issue in a long string of great issues. With the recent Rifter #73 containing ALL official source material, and The Rifter® #71-72 being a combined 224 pager, creating new buzz and excitement about The Rifter® sourcebook series. I think The Rifter #75 and #76 will continue that excitement, especially for Splicers® fans as the current Splicers® adventure and source material continues to please and wow.

UPDATE: The Rifter® #74 – available now

The Rifter® #74 is a fun issue with unique game settings for Rifts® and Splicers®. Two-thirds of The Rifter® #74 is “official” source material for Rifts® and Splicers®. Another great issue filled with game material and great artwork to inspire your games. Available now.

UPDATE: The Rifter® #75

Most of us have spent the week in meetings and catching up with work and correspondences since returning from Gen Con. But Chuck Walton is already back to finishing up the last two chapters in his sprawling Splicers® adventure source material for I am Legion. Still shooting for an August release but might slip into September. Both Wayne and Chuck are working on material for both The Rifter® #75 and #76.

UPDATE: Rifts® for Savage Worlds at Gen Con

I had the pleasure of meeting Jodi and Clint Black. Jodi is Pinnacle’s “supergirl” who seems manage ... well, a lot. She is great to work with and we had communicated via a zillion emails and spoken on the phone, but had never met in person until Gen Con. It’s nice to put a face to the voice. Clint was the Rifts® Savage Worlds demo-guy who seemed to be running non-stop demos throughout the convention. I heard a lot of positive buzz from people who participated in some of those demos as well as from folks who had backed the Pinnacle Kickstarter. I was a bit surprised not to see a big Rifts® Savage Worlds poster or handouts announcing its impending arrival early 2017, but the game definitely had a presence.

UPDATE: Rifts®, Robotech® and more available from DriveThruRPG

Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Wave 2 Paper Game Pieces recently joined Rifts® World Book 29: Madhaven™, Rifts® Ultimate Edition and 160+ other PDF titles, RRT stuff, G.M. helper kits and free material on DriveThruRPG.com right now! More Rifts®, Robotech® and other Palladium game titles, paper miniatures and fun coming to PDF in the weeks and months ahead. Watch for them.

In addition to the titles listed above, The Minion War™ series of books, the Rifts® Coalition Wars®/Tolkeen series, Chaos Earth® Resurrection, all of the Dead Reign® (Zombie Apocalypse) titles, Splicers® RPG and most issues of The Rifter® are available NOW! So are first edition rules of the Heroes Unlimited™ RPG and sourcebooks, Palladium Fantasy RPG® and sourcebooks, The Mechanoids®, and much more, available on DriveThruRPG.com.

A wide range of art and collectibles have been selling over the last few weeks. Nice. I hope you enjoy your items, be they out of print books, signed titles, rare hardcovers, original artwork, toys or other goodies. Original art are one-of-a-kind items, so when they are gone (like the TMNT sketches and Rifts® illustrations), they are gone. Many other offerings are signed, limited editions or are items that have been sold out for some time.

I will continue to pull things out of my personal collection and Palladium archives. A bunch of toys have been added to my online store with more to come.

More collectibles, artwork and toys are added almost every week. Palladium collectibles, hardcovers, out-of-print titles, original artwork, and toys and items from my personal collection are on my ebay store. We add items on a regular basis and offer sales, so check it out from time to time. Includes one-of-a-kind original artwork, prints, Rifts® and Robotech® artwork by Kevin Long, me and others. There is also a range of limited editions, rare book titles and limited edition hardcovers, toys and more available with frequent new items added. Items include original art, out-of-print titles, redlined proofreader photocopies signed by me and the staff, signed manuscripts with editors’ corrections, some original art, hardcover books (including Rifts® Lemuria, Northern Gun™ One, Northern Gun™ Two, Megaverse® in Flames™, Beyond the Supernatural™ Gold, Rifts® Machinations of Doom™ Gold and Rifts® Ultimate Gold), hundreds of toys and action figures, all from my personal archives and collection. Take a look every weekend or two for new items added.

More about Gen Con 2016

Gen Con felt special this year. More special than usual. There was an electricity and buzz in the air the entire event. We received a lot of positive fan feedback on all fronts, and got to visit with many industry and fan friends.

It was cool that Kenzer & Co. (the company that publishes Knights of the Dinner Table) was directly across from the Palladium Books booth. That meant I got to hang with my pal Jolly Blackburn more than usual. Carmen Bellaire hung out at the Palladium booth a lot too and was in especially good spirits. That was nice to see, because he has gone through a lot the last couple of years and has been working like a fiend. Of course it is always pleasant to have friends and booth helpers like Brandon and Sarah Aten, Madman Mike Leonard, Jeff “NMI” Ruiz, Mark Oberle, and Tom Roache at the booth. Not to mention pitch-hitting helpers and friends like Glen Evans, Robert Shewring,Mike Silva, Kyle, Dan, Peter, Matt, the Brown Family and others. It is wonderful to see friends like Larry Elmore, Jolly Blackburn, Dave Kenzer, Bryan Layton, Tyler Walpole, Taylor White, Amy Ashbaugh, Juan, Jason, Meredith, Pauline, and Connor, James and Diane, among many, many others. One morning I swung by the Ninja Division booth to take some photos of it before the exhibitors’ hall opened, but never managed to make it back say hello to the guys. Heck, that’s true of several companies I meant to visit. I think it was a very busy convention for everyone.

One of the things I love most about any convention is talking with the fans from around the world. There were some great fan moments, some touching, some funny, all wonderful. We must have signed hundreds of books, took dozens of photos and had many photos taken with fans. We made some new friends and acquaintances this year, too. All in all, it was a wonderful event. Heck, it is Friday and I’m only now starting to come down from the Gen Con buzz. I hope to see all of you again at Gen Con next year.

Take advantage of the short sale fueled by my Gen Con buzz, be excited about the products available now like the Rifts® Raw Editions, Robotech® Masters Saga and Rifts® Poker Cards, watch for all the new stuff coming in the months ahead, and the big stuff coming for Robotech® and Rifts® (among others) next year. Please have a great weekend and always keep those beautiful imaginations of yours burning bright.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer, Game Designer

NEW! Rifts® Poker Deck One (Color) – available now

For the first time ever, Rifts® is captured in a deck of playing cards. Each card a powerful image. Perfect for playing cards, collecting, gifts and use as an Action Deck for Pinnacle’s Rifts® Savage Worlds game line.

Gen Con gamers went wild over the two Rifts® Poker Decks and you will too. Both contain iconic Rifts® artwork and characters, and look gorgeous. The color and design of both poker decks makes the artwork pop and a joy to use. Available now.

Premium card stock.

Standard US Poker size deck of playing cards.

Rifts® specific symbols for each suit.

52 full color playing cards, plus 2 Jokers.

Diamonds are magic. Clubs are D-Bees. Hearts are heroes. Spades are the Coalition States.

The back of the cards is the artwork from the cover of Rifts® Ultimate Edition depicting a Ley Line Walker with an Alien Intelligence emerging from the Rift opening behind him, energy swirling. Art by Scott Johnson.

52 iconic images and characters by your favorite artists. This second deck of playing cards captures Rifts® in a different light. Each card features a different iconic, black and white illustration set in a color border of rippling magic energy from the Rifts. Illustrations are by a wide range of fan favorite artists. A fun and attractive item for playing cards, collecting, and other uses.

Premium card stock.

Standard US Poker size deck of playing cards.

Rifts® specific symbols for each suit.

Color border and suits.

52 playing cards featuring iconic illustrations, plus 2 Jokers.

Diamonds are monsters. Clubs are heroes. Hearts are robots and power armor. Spades are the Coalition Army.

Each card has a unique illustration of a famous Rifts® hero, monster, mech or agent of the Coalition. Artists include Kevin Long, Ramon K. Perez, Freddie Williams II, Michael Wilson, Jeffery Russell, Apollo Okamura, and others.

Customized, full color, Rifts® tuck box.

The back of the cards is the artwork from the cover of Rifts® Psyscape™ depicting a beautiful female psychic warrior, triumphant over a robotic enemy. Art by John Zeleznik.

New! Rifts® Sovietski™ – Raw Preview Limited Edition – available now

The Raw Preview Edition of Rifts® Sovietski™ is an advance copy of the unedited, unillustrated, final working manuscript for this exciting new sourcebook. You get to see the unfinished book months before the final title is released. A rare look at the raw manuscript before publication. Limited to a total of 150 copies.

Contains background information on the fledgling Sovietski and notable cities and people, bunker creation tables, Deadzone Tables, Spetznaz Special Forces, the Soviet Army and its weapons, cyborgs, new bionics, 21 new combat vehicles, Russian D-Bees and more. Note: The finished Rifts® Sovietski™ is anticipated to ship by the end of this year. However, with all the art that is needed, it might slip into an early 2017 release. But you can start playing right now with this special edition!

Limited collector’s edition – only 150 total copies made – half of those already sold!

The Raw Preview Edition of Rifts® Dimension Book: Secrets of the Atlanteans™ is an advance copy of the unedited, unillustrated, final working manuscript for this exciting new sourcebook. You get to see the unfinished book months before the final title is released. A rare look at the raw manuscript before publication. Limited to a total of 150 copies.

Filled with never before seen information on the Sunaj and other Atlantean tribes, plus dimensional havens, Crystal and Shadow Magic, the Shadow Dimension, stone pyramids and more. Note: The finished Secrets of the Atlanteans™ is expected to ship in the fall of 2016.

Limited collector’s edition – only 150 total copies made – half of those already sold!

Robotech®: The Masters Saga™ Sourcebook has been enlarged to the standard 8½ x 11 inch format and 160 pages. Artwork was given the deluxe treatment – large, clear, and detailed to go along with the wealth of information about the Second Robotech War, the Army of the Southern Cross, its combat forces, mecha, weapons, and vehicles. The same comprehensive treatment was given to the invading Robotech Masters.

Forget the corny drama, the emphasis of this sourcebook is on the Second Robotech War and the equipment on both sides. Making the Masters Saga a big mecha and equipment book that you will want in your collection. Did you know the Army of the Southern Cross used power armor and Battloids in addition to their famous mecha? You’ll find out all about it in this comprehensive 160 page sourcebook. Much of it described and statted out in an “official” capacity for the very first time in this sourcebook. Note: Only the size, size of artwork and layout has changed. The text and data are the same as the manga-sized edition, apart from eratta and minor additions.

40+ weapons; pistols, rifles, grenade launchers.

15 O.C.C.s and MOS skill packages for the 8 main branches of the ASC and the 7 Special Forces Divisions operating under the Tactical Corps.

NEW! The Rifter® #74 – Now available!

Rifts®, Splicers® and more awaits you in The Rifter® #74. And some material is official.

Every issue of The Rifter® is an idea factory for players and Game Masters to generate new ideas and find new avenues of adventure. It provides useful, ready-to-go source material you can just drop into your ongoing games. A doorway to new possibilities and numerous Palladium role-playing worlds. And the many new characters, O.C.C.s, powers, magic, weapons, villains, monsters, adventures and ideas for one setting can be easily adapted to any Palladium setting. Every issue has material for Rifts® and at least 2-3 other Palladium game lines. And don’t forget, most of the material can be easily adapted for use in ANY Palladium game setting.

Rifter® #74 Highlights:

Rifts® – The Town of Moorcroft™, by Julius Rosenstein – “official” source material. The Town of Moorcroft is not on most maps for a reason: most people don’t even know it exists, or that it rests on a Hidden Rift. Read about the town’s unique history, its Nexus Born, and key places and people. Makes a great location for player groups to rest, trade goods and find adventure.

Splicers® – I am Legion, Part Three, by Charles Walton II, Chris Kluge and Lance Colley – adventure plus “official” source material. The adventure continues as your heroes must deal with the new Machine personality known as Legion. In this adventure, the player group discovers a secret weapon facility of the Resistence. They will be introduced to a wide array of new Bio-Tech Weapons and Enhancements to prepare them for the ultimate showdown with Legion!

Rifts® CS Heroes of Humanity™ changes the landscape of Rifts North America and beyond, presents ways to upgrade and improve existing Men-At-Arms characters with Advanced Training, and includes new character classes, weapons, equipment, alliances and conflict to inspire epic new adventures.

Rifts® Heroes of Humanity™ outlines the battle for the soul of humanity. The Minion War™ has spilled onto Rifts Earth. At the epicenter of the invasion is North America. If either of the two rival demonic forces succeeds in conquering the continent, the rest of the world shall follow and Earth will be annexed to Hell. The demon hordes believe no one can stop them. The Coalition States has something to say about that.

For the first time in history, the Coalition States, Northern Gun, the Manistique Imperium, Lazlo, New Lazlo, Free Quebec, the Cyber-Knights, Lemurians, True Atlanteans, D-Bees, mages, mercs and many, many others stand together against a common enemy. Meanwhile, the Splugorth of Atlantis, Archie Three, the Republicans and the Vanguard engage in their own shadow war against the invading demon hordes, and each other.

Heroes of Humanity™ lets unprecedented types of characters gather in mixed groups that would otherwise be ideologically opposed. Together they fight side-by-side for the greater good.

NEW! Rifts® Secrets of the Atlanteans™ – September

True Atlanteans are descendants from Earth’s past. The survivors of the sinking of Atlantis (really a dimensional mishap) and travelers of the Megaverse, wielders of Tattoo Magic and other lost mystic arts. Most people regard them as heroes, but are they? The Sunaj Assassins are mythic villains feared by all, yet they too are True Atlanteans who serve dark forces.

For the first time, much of the story behind True Atlanteans and their secrets are revealed.

True Atlanteans revisited.

Optional Atlantean character creation tables including clan heritage and other factors.

Secrets of the stone pyramids, different types/purposes and powers.

Many new magic tattoos, magic spells, weapons and armor.

Atlantean hideouts and secret communities across the Megaverse.

The Sunaj Assassins, their secrets, history and plans for the future.

Atlantean Monster Hunter O.C.C., Atlantean Defender O.C.C. and much more. And this is just the tip of what this book contains.

Rifts® Secrets of the Coalition States: The Disavowed™ – Fall

“Desperate times require desperate measures. War has nothing to do with morality or justice. It’s all about winning or dying. We cannot bind our hands with high ideals, even our own, or worry about the laws of renegade nations or the rights of alien people. We must fight fire with fire. And you are the match.” – Colonel Lyboc addressing a Disavowed team

The Disavowed are so Top Secret that their existence is known only to a handful of the Coalition States’ most elite, top echelon, with Joseph Prosek II the mastermind behind the Disavowed operation, and Colonel Lyboc its shadowy face. Find out who these men and women are. How the Disavowed get away with using magic, traveling to other parts of Rifts Earth and even to other dimensions in pursuit of enemies and strategic information that cannot be had through conventional means. Learn about the secret parameters in which these hard-boiled warriors, secretly hand-picked by Joseph Prosek II, operate, why almost every mission is considered a suicide mission, and why they must forever be the Disavowed.

CS operatives so secret that even the top military and political leaders right up to Emperor Prosek know nothing about them. And if they did know, would they condone their activity or condemn it?

Are the Disavowed heroes or renegades? Assassins or soldiers? Madmen or super-patriots? Or a little of them all?

Unsung heroes who keep the CS safe, or thugs and pawns of a shadow agency within the Coalition government?

What role does the Vanguard play in this group?

How do they reward their D-Bee “teammates” when the mission is over?

What happens to the Disavowed when they have seen or learned too much? Adventure ideas galore and so much more.

NEW! Rifts® Haunted Tech™ – Fall

The Republicans decide to make their move while Archie Three is waging his own shadow war against the demonic invaders. The result unleashes a menace Archie has kept contained and locked away for 300 years. And he is not happy about it.

Haunted Technology.

New weapons and gear.

More secrets and information about the Republicans.

More insane adventure opportunities, strangeness and fun.

The new rules, powers and abilities for Haunted Tech will blow your mind.

Haunted Tech gives new meaning to “ghost in the machine.” But are they a godsend or a Pandora’s Box of new dangers?

The Republicans reveal themselves and take action! Yes, that means Chaos Earth® NEMA O.C.C.s, robots and technology in Rifts® Earth.

Garden of the Gods™ – a Palladium Fantasy RPG® Sourcebook – Fall

This has been a secret project of Kevin Siembieda’s that he has been plotting and writing in what little spare time he has. The Garden of the Gods is said to be a holy place watched over and even frequented by the avatars of the gods. According to legend, the god may visit heroes and followers in dreams or in person by an avatar of the god, to be given guidance, inspiration, heroic quests, and gifts of knowledge and magic. More details about this title will follow.

The Garden of the Gods described in detail.

Godly insight and visitations.

Gifts of magic and knowledge.

Sanctuary and more.

The Black Pit, a place of evil and dark secrets. Is it a counterbalance to the good of the Garden or a trick of the Old Ones?

NEW! Hell Followed™ – Ships in October

A Dead Reign® Zombie Apocalypse Sourcebook

At 160 pages, Hell Followed™ is the largest Dead Reign® sourcebook yet. Artist Nick Bradshaw is already fast at work on the art. Cover by E.M. Gist is finished.

Can you survive the Zombie Apocalypse? Find out by playing the Dead Reign® RPG series. This post-apocalypse setting is only picking up steam and is about much more than just killing the walking dead. And future sourcebooks are about to get scarier as they delve deeper into the survivor camps, Death Cults, the new world order, and human heroes and villains.

Rifts® Chaos Earth® Sourcebook: First Responders – Winter

The Great Cataclysm has devastated civilization, but humanity fights for survival. The struggles of civilian law enforcement, fire and rescue, and everyday men and women are some of the most epic tales to be told in a world gone to hell. They fight monsters, aliens, the paranormal, the elements, and each other, all with the hope of reclaiming their lives from the Chaos.

Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Wave Two is coming ...

– but you can get started with the core box set and Wave One expansions right now

If you love Robotech®, you want to take a look at this game. Beautifully detailed game pieces of your favorite Robotech® mecha, and fast playing rules that capture the Robotech® experience in a new, exciting way. And this is just the beginning. We have so much more planned for the years ahead.

Robotech® RPG Tactics™ "Starter Box" (Main Box Game) – Cat. No. 55100 – $99.95 retail price. This is the game Robotech® fans have wanted for decades. Robotech® RPG Tactics™ is a fast-paced, tabletop combat game that captures the action and adventure of the Robotech® anime. Two or more players can engage in small squad skirmishes or scale up to massive battles. Relive the clashes of the First Robotech War, engage in stand-alone tactical games, or use the dynamic game pieces to enhance your Robotech® RPG experience. Or simply collect your favorite mecha from an expanding range of top-notch game pieces. Get yours now, so you can build your armies and have them ready when Wave Two is released.

The First Six Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Expansion Packs are available to retail along with the main box game. Here are the SKUs and retail prices:

Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Rulebook – Cat. No. 55105 – $20.00 retail. Note: This is the same rulebook that is included in the main game box, and is offered separately for those who want an extra copy, or want to check out the rules before buying the whole game.

BACK in STOCK: Wolfen Empire™ for Palladium Fantasy

The Wolfen Empire is growing. And that means trouble for humans, Dwarves, and other people as the Wolfen flex their military might and begin to study magic in earnest.

The Wolfen Empire™ sourcebook provides insight and history about the Wolfen, their past, present and goals for the future. The Wolfen are poised to become the next great civilization, but at what cost? Six fleshed out adventures plus a 101 adventure ideas table give players and Game Masters plenty of material for exploring the Great Northern Wilderness and encounters with the Wolfen.

BACK in STOCK: Villains Unlimited™for the Heroes Unlimited™ RPG series

It’s the reference book that never gets old – 80+ superhuman villains, a secret organization that supplies villains and criminals, another that hunts superhumans, plus rules and tables for creating your own super-organizations, Game Master playing tips, and more.

All of it provides Game Masters with bad guys and ideas for adventure, because each description presents the villain’s origin, motivation and goals. Just drop ‘em into your campaign and watch the super abilities fly. That’s why Villains Unlimited™ has been a fan favorite for years.

80+ villains completely stated out.

A few villain teams and organizations and their evil agendas.

S.C.R.E.T. stands for Superbeing Control Retrieval and Elimination Teams who are part of a multi-national organization to handle the “superhuman problem.” Are they hunting your heroes?

Fabricators Inc. is an international arms dealer whose exclusive clientele is superhuman bad guys and the criminal underworld.

BACK in STOCK: Century Station™

City, Villain & Heroes Sourcebook for Heroes Unlimited™ RPG

Century Station™ is a compelling cityscape described and mapped. It is a great location to base a Heroes Unlimited™ campaign or a place to visit. The 51 superhuman villains, some of whom are members of villain teams, provide instant antagonists that can be dropped into any game at any time. Likewise, the 40 dynamic heroes can be used as NPCs (Non-Player Characters) or as pre-generated player characters, plus there are weapons, equipment and adventure ideas galore. All ready for you to incorporate into your campaign in an instant.

Each villain and hero provides Game Masters with ideas for adventure, because each description presents the villain’s or hero’s origin, motivation and goals. Century Station™ and Villains Unlimited™ are both excellent resources for gadgets, weapons and inspiration for creating your own heroes, villains and conflicts.

51 villains completely statted out.

40 heroes and lawmen to use as NPCs or pre-generated player characters.

The District of Century Station, its history, purpose, problems, and notable locations mapped and described.

BACK in STOCK: After the Bomb® RPG

– Stand alone game and suitable for Heroes Unlimited™ RPG

Ever wonder what it would be like to play an intelligent, humanoid eagle? What about a sword wielding turtle or ninja rodent, or heroic wolfman, or a flying pig? In After the Bomb® you can turn a mouse into the size of a gorilla, or keep him small and sneaky, but with special animal powers, psychic abilities and human speech and intelligence. Or create that winged humanoid eagle who preys upon criminals. Or maybe that giant hamster, let alone mutant lion or tiger, is an animalistic brute who hunts other mutants (humans and animals!) and feasts upon them like a monstrous predator. The choices are yours.

After the Bomb® lets you mutate any animal you can think of, into a heroic crime-fighter set in our modern world or a mutant animal survivor of post-apocalyptic Earth — think Planet of the Apes on steroids. An environment where humans struggle to survive in a devastated (nuked?) world, and intelligent mutant animals appear to be the inheritors of the planet. Fun. Wild. Imaginative stories await.

The After the Bomb® RPG and its future world setting is one of the late, great, Erick Wujcik’s most fun and lasting creations. Play it as a stand-alone game or use AtB as a resource to create mutant animals that can be dropped into your Heroes Unlimited™ game, Aliens Unlimited™, Rifts®, Phase World®, Robotech® or just about any game setting. Play them as mutant animals or aliens from another world, heroes or villains, victims and fugitives, but get After the Bomb® because its mutant creations can fit many roles and are a blast to play in any setting.

100+ intelligent mutant animals already described, statted and ready for you to play.

Heroes Unlimited™ RPG – Reminder

Want to play superhumans and caped heroes, mutants and aliens, power armor clad champions and super soldiers? The Heroes Unlimited™ RPG lets you create them all and more.

The game is called Heroes Unlimited™ because it enables you to create every type of superhuman and comic book hero you can imagine. Bring your favorite comic book heroes to life or create an entirely hero of you own design. Then weave adventure adventures set in our modern world but one where superhumans, heroes and villains make our world even more exciting and dangerous. If you know and love comic books, you know what happens next.

A complete game, all you need to get started is this 352 page rule book, a few friends, dice and an imagination. With several sourcebooks back in stock, and comic book heroes the rage in film and TV, we thought we would remind people about just how awesome the Heroes Unlimited™ RPG really is. Order yours today.

101 super abilities. And many have a variety of sub-powers within them, plus bonuses and special combat capabilities.

Rifts® World Book 28: Arzno™

Looking for vampire slayers and anti-vampire TW devices? You need to visit Arzno. Arno is a mercenary city built on the edge of the Grand Canyon. It is a force for good, but threatened by the encroaching vampire menace from Mexico who have marked the mercs for destruction. Arzno™ has plenty of fun source material, Techno-Wizard power armor and weapons, a vampire invasion adventure scenario and other adventure ideas. Available from Palladium in book form and as a PDF from DriveThruRPG.com.

The City and Territory of Arzno™ described and mapped. A good place for adventurers to trade goods and resupply.

The Arzno Mercenary Corps, notable heroes and people of Arzno.

36 Techno-Wizard creations including TW weapons, power armor, vehicles and devices, most designed for combating vampires!

The vampire legions of General Zavier Stuart, and the sinister Blood Cult.

The ghost-filled forest known as the Waste and some of the monsters found there.

The Great Trade Road and many other notable locations.

Looking for adventure? Arzno brings it.

Cover by John Zeleznik. Art by Walton, Dubish, Breaux and others.

Written by Jason Richards. Additional text by Kevin Siembieda.

160 pages – $20.95 retail – Cat. No. 868. Now available in PDF form as well as the printed book!

Palladium PDF Books – download from DriveThruRPG.com

This is a great resource for getting out of print Palladium titles and other select books. We’ve made more than 100 PDF products available for digital download from DriveThruRPG.com, as well as Fantasy Paper Miniatures, Game Master resources and other good things with more to come. This is a great way to try Palladium products and get access to out of print RPG source material. Some notable titles include:

Go to DriveThruRPG.com to see the full selection. But come back every month to see what new books have been added. We are planning to do a lot.

Upcoming Palladium Books® Convention Events

Palladium Books does not have to be an exhibitor at a convention or be counted among the guests to support that convention. We are happy to support events running Palladium games with prizes for best players, other swag, and donations to charity auctions. If you are a Game Master running Palladium gaming events, or a convention hosting them, PLEASE contact Palladium Books via the Help Desk or the Megaversal Ambassadors, or call the Palladium offices to get our support. Just give us plenty of advance notice so we can confirm the conventions and the Palladium gaming events, determine the swag and ship it out. Plus we are glad to promote conventions and gaming events right here in the Weekly Updates. Below are just some of the conventions hosting Palladium game events this year.

GrandCon – Grand Rapids, Michigan – September 16, 17 & 18, 2016

Looking for a nice medium-sized convention of around 2,000 gamers? Then consider GrandCon in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It’s only about 2 hours and 15 minutes from Westland, and even closer for folks living in Livonia, Plymouth, Novi, and cities farther west. Ideal for any Michiganders and gamers living in Illinois, Indiana and maybe even Wisconsin and eastern Iowa.

I (Kevin Siembieda) am a guest along with Sean Patrick Fannon, co-author of Savage Rifts® for the Savage Worlds game system, and many other guests. Sean and I will be doing panels about Savage Rifts® and role-playing game design, world building and running gaming events (I’ll probably run Lord DeSilca/Fantasy and/or Beyond the Supernatural), and Palladium Books will have a few tables in the dealers’ room manned by Wayne Smith and Charles Walton II (with artwork for sale). All of us will be present to chat with gamers and sign books. I am thrilled to have a rapidly growing game convention like GrandCon in western Michigan, and they have even bigger plans for 2017. Michiganders, help support this convention. We need and deserve a large gaming convention in our state.